Search partners for HOSPITIS project – sustainable community-based tourism

[Borghi Autentici ItaliaParticipant]

MED area context to develop HOSPITIS project
Tourism system in the Mediterranean area, has lost in the last decade some positions in the competitive arena. For this reason we must reflect and act quickly to reposition its offering and improve the standard of “product” overall, which necessarily has to be in a close relationship with environment, local communities and sustainable economy.
Crucial factors for the MED territories are: low degree of innovation and adaptability of the offer itself, excessive fragmentation of sector and condensed seasonality causing high environmental pressures. In many cases, destination planning is not sufficient, making chaotic and highly polluting tourism flows.
The negative consequences of an uncontrolled tourism pressure cause a gradual loss of local identity, this happens because the product is not coherent with sustainability criteria and quality of local life. Instead there are some territories in the MED area in which tourism is not permanently part of their economic industry, so they still can study and plan their own destination offer, towards sustainability and community-based tourism criteria.

Strategic plan
Hospitis project starts from this reflection to give a concrete answers to Mediterranean territories, in order to improve sustainability in coastal and maritime tourism adapting to every local context a sustainable community-based tourism model, called “Welcoming Communities”.
The objectives of the project are:
• facilitating the creation of strategic partnerships between local stakeholders and public administration, and between these and other MED territories, to improve cooperation, management of local and interregional strategies, shared planning of sustainable tourism with local community;
• Diversifying MED tourism offer through an innovative sustainable community-based model, in order to reduce coastal and maritime tourism seasonality
• Improve levels of sustainability in MED area through the preservation and valorization of local cultures and environment in community-based tourism activities.

Who we are looking for?
• Municipalities in the MED area, especially located in France, Spain, Portugal or Slovenia, not exceeding 10.000 inhabitants, located in coastal and maritime area, who have in their territories defined villages, easy to identify also in urban planning, seeking to develop a sustainable tourism strategy;
• Agencies, association, organization having in their network or technically working for small Municipalities in MED coastal and maritime areas in the above mentioned countries;

Please, reply at this topic for more information and details

• This topic was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by  Borghi Autentici Italia.

[Trini Manrique de Lara VilchezParticipant]

Dear Sirs,

Your project “HOSPITIS” seems very interesting for our Province.
I write you on behalf of the Diputación de Granada (Provincial Council of Granada), that is the Local Government of the Province of Granada (Andalusia, Spain).

Our institution represents 172 municipalities, most of them with rural character and many not exceeding 10.000 inhabitants. We have great territorial imbalances and a great geographical diversity.

An important area of our territory is in the coast, where 16 of 19 municipalities are under 10.000 inhabitants, 5 of them with their limits just in seashore. Tourism is one of the key drivers for their development. But this tourist activity needs to fight against seasonality and environmental pressure, as well as increase the quality of its products in order to diversify the offer.
Having an adequate planning in the framework of a sustainable community-based tourism model will be of vital importance for these municipalities.

I write you from the Delegation of Employment and Sustainable Development of the “Diputación de Granada”. This Delegation was founded at the end of 1993 as the Department of the Diputación de Granada devoted to promote local development of our municipalities and the Province as a whole. The main points of our work program are: 1) European Programs for economic promotion; 2) Strategic planning programme of the provincial territory 3) Self-employment and company consolidation; 4) Training for Employment. 5) Promotion of Rural Development 6) Support programme for the modernisation and quality of local public services 7) Social Responsibility Programme

We have a wide experience in the implementation of European projects, as leader and as partners, in the framework of most of European Programmes, MED among them.

As an example, we could highlight the following projects because of their special connection with yours:
– CesR: Support local rural entities to promote job mutualism in services sector linked to tourism and social services (INTERREG IV C)
– TOURAGE: Promote senior tourism as a tool to promote employment and development of rural areas (INTERREG IV C)
– CULTURMED: Promote natural, cultural, historical and landscape heritage of Alpujarra area to support the declaration of this territory as part of World Heritage (POCTEFEX, Spain – Morocco)
– ETNOMED: Increase the potential of common ethnographic heritage in the province of Granada and Northern Morocco, as a resource for sustainable socio-economic development and cultural dialogue (POCTEFEX, Spain – Morocco)
– NEXOTUR: Support for quality of tourist products in provinces of Malaga, Granada and Almeria and Northern Morocco
– ECEMED: Integrated project for sustainable development around medium-sized cities (ERDF. Local and Urban Development)
– TEMA: Integrated project for sustainable development around mountainous areas (ERDF. Local and Urban Development)
– MAGREC: Reappraisal and revitalisation of Historical Heritage and Local Identity, for the development of the province of Granada and Northern Morocco (POCTEFEX, Spain-Morocco)
– Network of Minor Historical Centres: Cultural, touristic and natural raise in value of minor historical centres. (INTERREG III B MEDOCC)
– EUROCUEVAS: Raise in value of troglodyte Heritage (INTERREG III C)

In case you may consider the possibility of our participation and you need more information about us, here you have contact data:
Trinidad Manrique de Lara Vílchez: trinim@dipgra.es

[Julia Sáiz-Pardo]

Dear colleagues,

We find very interesting your project proposal.

Please, find below a general information about our institution:

The Legacy of al-Andalus Andalusian Public Foundation is run by the Regional Government of Andalusia (Spain). Our actions are developed in all Andalusia region. Our main activities are cultural and tourist and we have experience in different European projects (as leaders and partners).
Our Routes, the Routes of El legado andalusí, represents the biggest cultural tourism offer existing today in southern Spain; through an extensive itinerary that includes more than 200 towns, they connect the main capital cities of Andalusia.

The Routes of El legado andalusí were designated in 2004 as Major Cultural Itinerary of the Council of Europe; From our headquarters at the Pavilion of al-Andalus and Science (Granada, Spain) (4,477m2), the Foundation carries out a good number of didactic activities and workshops to raise awareness on the Foundation’s labour and to promote its Cultural Itineraries and Tourist Routes.

Concerning European Projects, the Foundation has participated as leader or partner in different programs INTERREG IVC, POCTEP, POCTEFEX, GRUNDVIGT, LEONARDO and ENPI-CROSS BORDER COOPERATION. All of them focused on education, culture, tourism and social integration. Nowadays, we are leader of Umayyad project (ENPI-CROSS BORDER COOPERATION):

At Mediterranean level, tourism has often led many countries and regions to develop the industry in a competitive way rather than in a cooperative manner. For obvious climatic reasons but also due the role played by tour operators, Mediterranean tourism destinations have based their growth essentially on a “sun and sea” vision and developed strategies aimed at maximizing short term profits instead of addressing the needs and expectations of customers and residents. In this sense, there is a real need to adopt and introduce new consumer models translated into environmentally friendly tourism products, respecting natural resources and diversifying the seasonal nature of tourism demand. The UMAYYAD project contributes to this objective by promoting sustainable tourism based on the synergies derived from the design of a cross-border itinerary between 6 countries sharing common history and cultural background.

Our main skills are:

-Management and coordination of European projects experience.
-Mobility (Grundtvig) activities and experience.
-Organization of cultural activities experience.
-Organization of Educational activities experience.
-Organization of tourist activities and experience. (Routes of The Legacy of al-Andalus).
-Planification and materialization of tourist Routes.
-Experience in organization of activities with stakeholders, companies and entrepreneurs.
-Experience in organization of activities related with traditional and contemporary arts and crafts.
More than 60 themed exhibitions organized, more than 3,200,000 people have visited these exhibitions, which have implied the biggest movement of museum pieces ever carried out in Spain. Editorial work, having published more than 80 books in several collections on themed matters.

For more information:
legadoandalusi.es
rutaslegadoandalusi.es
alandalusylaciencia.es

We would like to receive more information about your project proposal and, please, be so kind to consider us as partner.

Looking forward to receiving your news, with our best regards,

Julia Sáiz-Pardo
Communication department
jsp@legadoandalusi.es
Lola Luque
European projects department
lola@legadoandalusi.es

[Zannet SakerParticipant]

Dear all,
The Municipality of Alimos, in Attica region, Greece is looking for partners to be involved in a MED project proposal focused on the Priority Axis 3, under the following specific objective:

• Coastal & Marine time sustainable tourism

The city has the largest marina in Greece, and in the southeast Mediterranean also, with a total land area of 171.030 sq. m., which includes a marine area of 250.000 sq. m., breakwaters of 1.170 m. length and more than 1.100 fixed vessels sites, for servicing cruise boats and yachts up to 40 meters long. The maximum depth of the Marina is 6.5 meters. Therefore, due to the city’s significant geopolitical & tourism position, it is a doubtless fact that Alimos could play a key role in the growth, competitiveness and sustainability of the coastal & marine time tourism in the Mediterranean.

If you are interested in developing a project in line with the above mentioned topic, please don’t hesitate to contact us, for more information.

Thank you in advance,
Sincerely,
Zanet Saker
Email: z.saker@mck.gr

[José António Falcão]

Dear Sirs:
We would like to indicate our interest to study the possibility of becoming a Portuguese partner of your consortium.
Established 1984, the “Departamento do Património Histórico e Artístico da Diocese de Beja” [DPHA] (Department of Historical and Artistic heritage, Catholic Diocesis of Beja) is a pioneer ONG, operating with national, regional and local authorities, in safeguarding the religious heritage. In particular, it is in charge of the cultural heritage of the Beja region, in the South of Portugal, between the Atlantic ocean and the Spanish border. The Diocese of Beja keeps over 200.000 inventoried works of art in churches, monasteries, convents and museums and over 500 buildings.
Among the many areas of work of his team, 12 professional and 214 volunteers, are: inventory of religious cultural goods; ensuring equity for communities and social inclusion; creation of a core of technical advice; churches restoration and re-opening; support for cultural itineraries.
The experience of Beja is particularly relevant in inventories, conservation, publications and development of local communities. The DPHA chose to enlarge its range of activities on heritage and biodiversity in order to involve a wider public. In addition, organizes since 2003 the Festival Terras sem Sombra (FTSS), which aims to become accessible the monuments of Alentejo. This is due to a partnership between the DPHA as well the “dynamic forces” of Alentejo.
The FTSS has an itinerant character and focuses its action on the developing of new audiences and the connection to local communities. Its high international level of the programme is composed by, beyond concerts, master classes, conferences, guides tours and some pedagogic artistic actions. The dialog between the past and the contemporary creation, as well as the opening to young composers and interpreters, the order for works, the intersections among the arts, the rescue of the musicological heritage, are, together, structural elements of the project.
This is the background in which the FTSS shows the relevance of the environmental and cultural value of this territory, presenting one of the best index of preservation in Europe. Each concert is accompanied by a volunteering pilot-action in order to save its biodiversity. The principles of inclusion and sustainability are an integral part of the rules of the FTSS. The concerts and other activities provide open access within the constraints imposed by the preservation of the monuments and the place visited as well.
The “Festival Terras sem Sombra” desires to persuade the whole community to join efforts to obtain a well-balanced and sustained development for Southern Europe.
The International Prize “Terras sem Sombra”, created by the Festival in 2011, is awarded annually to three personalities or institutions that stood out, globally, in the areas of music, cultural heritage and biodiversity preservation.
Best regards,
José António Falcão
Department of Historical and Artistic Heritage, Diocesis of Beja
L. dos Prazeres, 4
PT 7800-420 Beja
Phone: + 00351 284 320 918
dphadb@sapo.pt
http://www.festivalterrassemsombra.pt

[Stella Zountsa]

Do you need a partner from Greece?we have previous experience in EU funded projects and we are interested in your project, however we would like more infos,

please contact at stella@aplan.gr

[Federico Amato]

Dear partner,

the laboratory of urban and regional system engineering (LISUT) at the University of Basilicata (Italy) is a research centre whose interests are regional and urban planning, developed with specific thoughtfulness to landscape protection, land-use activities effects and rural development. We have deep knowledges in the fields of geographic information analysis, of spatial statistics, of urban modelling, of Spatial Data Infrastructure development. We have interests in the Internet of Tings phenomena, and we have skills in open hardware usage.

We manage several contacts with local public bodies and territorial administrations such as the Province of Potenza, the Basilicata Region and several Municipal bodies. We are also in partnership with the UNESCO Club of Basilicata Region and we can eventually work on the involvement of the 2019 European Capital of Culture, Matera Municipality. We are also ready to open our EU partner’s network and portfolio in order to develop an interesting proposal on the subject you described.

We are interested in contributing to your proposal, sharing our partners and providing our scientific support to the project activities.

You can find more information about Univeristy of Basilicata and LISUT at the following links:
http://www.unibas.it
http://www.lisut.org

Please, consider to touching base with us at these contacts:

Francesco Scorza
University of Basilicata – Italy
francescoscorza@gmail.com
0039.3477001363

Federico Amato
University of Basilicata – Italy
fdrc.amatp@gmail.com

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